1

Alexis Delgado

NSG 436

Benchmark

Professor Cisneros

07/15/22
2

Benchmark-Reforming Mental Health services

Never has it been more crucial and necessary to advance mental and substance use

disorder patients' access to healthcare in the US. Several apparent social ills, such as

homelessness, veteran and military suicide, incarceration, opiate addiction, and mass violence,

have drawn attention to mental illness and highlighted the need for improved mental health care.

Large portions of the US population suffer negatively because of our "broken" mental health care

system. Serious mental illnesses (SMI), such as depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD,

schizophrenia, autism, and Alzheimer disease, cause extreme distress and disability, necessitate

expensive medical care, significantly shorten lifespans due to excess medical comorbidity, and

are more likely to commit suicide (Mental Health America, 2021). Because it can be difficult to

receive these treatments, it is difficult to improve mental health. Hospital inpatient beds were

expanded through the implementation of policies; however, this does not address the issue of

fewer people being admitted with a behavioral diagnosis. To provide psychiatry, treatment,

counseling, and public resources to everyone who might require them, policy reform surrounding

mental health services is necessary.

The behavioral health planning and advisory councils, local governing boards, mental

health centers/clinics, drug use agencies, and clients utilizing behavioral health services are

stakeholders that are directly impacted and affected by the mental health improvement policy.

Due to their work under federal law to address state policies relating to mental health, planning

and advisory councils play a significant role. Boards of directors of governing bodies, like the

Board of Directors of the National Council for Behavioral Health, are dedicated to advancing the

best possible care for people with addictions and other mental diseases (National Council for

Behavioral Health, 2019). They actively supervise the available treatment alternatives and act as
3

a guarantee when discussing improvements. People seeking therapy throughout the state can find

therapeutic treatments and one-on-one sessions at mental health clinics and centers. Residential

rehabilitation centers, which provide all-encompassing treatment programs for those with

substance abuse addictions, are also included in substance use agencies. These stakeholders will

participate in debating choices, supplying new treatments in the state, and engaging with patients

on a more personal level to find answers thanks to the present and improving mental health

policy, which offers additional inpatient beds to hospitals. Each of these parties has an impact on

how the neighborhood reacts to mental illness and the treatments that are offered to individuals

who need them.

Positive aspects of this approach continue to be the growing need for additional beds in

treatment facilities. Bringing people into the hospital helps to reduce some of the risk that comes

with their being on their own because behavioral health illnesses are persistently on the rise. If

the customer were to behave badly in public, this policy might be able to safeguard them and

people nearby. Hospitalization does not, however, address the basic problems that we see and

experience with mental illness. Although it is beneficial for hospitals, more beds are not

necessary; rather, services must be available in every county surrounding Arizona. People

frequently find it expensive and challenging to get assistance. The inability to attend school,

work, or develop interpersonal ties with others around them is caused by untreated addictions

and disorders (AZHHA, 2019). Despite the state's abundance of mental health facilities, there are

not enough of them to serve everyone who needs them.

“Current treatments and the dominant model of mental health care do not adequately

address the complex challenges of mental illness, which accounts for roughly one-third of adult

disability globally” (Lake & Turner, 2017). The 21st century mental illness pandemic and the top
4

cause of disability in the US are the result of availability restrictions, safety concerns, and the

high costs of therapy. Treatments reportedly still fall short of ideal standards despite decades of

research, planning, and funding for new ventures. Individuals with psychiatric illnesses are

usually burdened financially, which prevents them from obtaining therapy. Additionally, states

are given a finite amount of funding to help them meet local needs. This can be because of

governmental monitoring or because other medical illnesses were given precedence over this.

Many people are unable to acquire insurance coverage for their care because of the IMD

exclusion, which is a result of Medicaid restrictions that have been put in place because of law.

Patients are frequently unable to work and are overwhelmed by the cost of care, which results in

productivity losses that total more than $31 billion annually (AMA, 2021). This has an impact on

the entire health care system, including employee compensation. Nurses who work in the

psychological division can monitor patients around-the-clock and offer drugs and therapy

groups. Nurses are unable to supervise a patient once they are sent home, at least until they are

readmitted the following time. People have only recently realized how important it is for

regulatory, financial, and legislative laws affecting mental health to reform.

An untreated sickness causes a patient to be kept in an emergency room for days at a time

until outpatient services are available. It would be advantageous to more frequently use

telepsychiatry, which gives patients access to mental health doctors around-the-clock, to improve

this policy. Just taking one move alone could significantly lower injuries and suicides caused by

something that can be avoided. Communities will be strengthened and given more power if

behavioral health professionals are trained, licensed, and hired. By removing obstacles like the

IMD exclusion, patients will be more likely to receive effective care as opposed to being

hospitalized, imprisoned, or traumatized without receiving the necessary care or treatment. If any
5

of these recommendations were put into practice or included in the present mental health policy,

behavioral health services as we know them might be completely changed.

The development and integration of novel evidence-based therapies into behavioral

health care is crucial for the wellbeing of our state and country. Patient-centered care is always

given top priority, whether treatment is received at a mental health clinic, a hospital, or one of

the many local support groups in Arizona. The time needed to promote healing and successful

client outcomes can be significantly decreased by involving the government as well as other

significant stakeholders.
6

References

Advocacy and Policy. (2021). Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association.

https://www.azhha.org/advocacy_and_policy

American Medical Association. (2021, May 14). 6 ways to make behavioral health care more

equitable in practice. https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/health-equity/6-ways-

make-behavioral-health-care-more-equitable-practice

Lake, J. (2017). Urgent Need for Improved Mental Health Care and a More Collaborative Model

of Care. The Permanente Journal. https://doi.org/10.7812/tpp/17-024

National Council for Mental Wellbeing. (2022, February 28). National Behavioral Health

Network for Tobacco and Cancer Control.

https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/program/national-behavioral-health-network-for-

tobacco-cancer-control/

Policy Issues. (2021). Mental Health America. https://mhanational.org/policy-issues